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leaving Kazakhstan

Posted by: katya and mirko | June 19, 2010 | No Comment |

It was hard to guess where to go, because they were rebuilding the border and there was a big mess.

So we just follow the path on our left side and were heading into the building in front of us, when a guard started to whistle. We stopped.   He showed us the way into the same building we were heading towards, where they checked our passports and told us we need declaration paper which we could get in a small office around the corner.

I left Mirko with the guards and hoped he will not lose his temper. Because he really doesn’t like uniforms and he was already getting annoyed whit the guards.

I approached the small office. The truck drivers waiting in front told me I could get the registration paper inside. So I entered the small room and asked for the paper. They asked me where I am from and told me I don’t need one for the bicycles. So I went back and told the guard with our passports, that we don’t need one. He assured me that we do, so I had to go back again where I got the same answer.I was feeling that they were playing with us. But what could we do, we had to do obey.

Finally they gave me the paper. It was my third time going back and forward now. When I passed it to the guard, he told me I had to fill it in. We didn’t have the pen and they didn’t have one to lend. So they decided we don’t need the paper, but we had to wait for the dog that would search our bags for the hidden drugs.

While I was running back and forward trying to get the papers, Mirko received a note from Chris and Roy who left it with the guards in the morning. We learned that by now they are half a day in front of us and that Chris had hard time crossing the sand parts on the road losing one of his bags.

It took some time before the dog came. He was small and cute sniffing the corners of the building, marking them with his pee.

We were joking that he drank too much vodka but the guard said it was too much tea. After he did his ceremony marking all the corners, they put him on the leash and it was time to work. He was sniffing all around not really interested in our bikes. Then he came to my front bag where I had an old, dirty rug we used for cleaning the chain and he got all excited.

I had to open the bag and put everything out. And while I was doing that the thought crossed our minds. We left the bikes unguarded outside chaikhana when we were having a nap.There were many people outside who might put something in the bag. But then again we were not in Afghanistan or Pakistan where there is lots of drugs.

The dog was getting crazy with the rug, not interesting about the contents of my bag. So the guards checked it suspiciously and then let us go.

Now we just had to find another small office to stamp the passports and were free to leave. Part two was entering Uzbekistan and hoping our visa will not be shorter than 30 days.

under: Kazakhstan

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